Oil thief



NGV. l, 1949. B, C, FERGUSON 2,486,639

OIL THEF 2 'sheets-sheet 1 Filed Oct. 24, 1947 ATTE RNEYS Filed Oct. 24, 1947 f V/Q (/Z /f I /5 .2@ r2;

l, if /f 20 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2 ATTO RNEYB Patented Nov. 1, 1949 UIL THIEF .Bert C. Ferguson, A:dleeeased.Plate of 0il City, Ba., by Charles Ferguson, administrator, Oil

City, =Pa.

Application'oct'ober 24, 1947, Serial "'No. 781,819

This invention relates to improvements in "oil thieves which are particularly used by oil gaugers in the oil vfields for obtaining samples of oil in the bottom of oil tanks for the purpose `of determining the amount of sludge or waste-material or Water `found in the oil at the Abottomof the tank.

An object of the invention is to provide an oil thief comprising a casing carryinglan improved valve and control mechanism and soy constructed that the valve-mechanism does not extend beyond the connes of thefcasing to stir and agitate 'the liquid in the tank as it is lowered therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control mechanism for the valve that will positively close the valve so that `the valve will `not be rendered inoperative-by debris in the/cil which often occurs at the bottom-of the tank.

Another object of the invention is `to provide 4a control mechanismwhi'chcanbe adjusted sothat the valve will be closed at 'any desired depth or height from the bottom ofthe tank.

A further object of the invention'is'toprovide a spring device for the valve 'which will positively "retain the valve Vin closed'position once it has been closed by the control mechanism.

4With the above and other objects and "advantages .in View, the invention consists 'in the 'novel details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts more fully 'hereinafter described, claimed and illustrated inthe .accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a vfront elevational View, Vpartly in section .and partly broken away, of an embodiment of the invention;

vFigure? 'is a sectional view on `'the line `2-`2 `of Figure l and Figure 3 is a sectional ,view showing the valve in closed position and Figure 4 is a -rear elevational view of the de.- vice, showing the control mechanism mounted thereon.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the oil thief embodying the invention comprisesthe open ended hollow rectangular shaped-casing I0 which, adjacent its top edge, is provided on its opposite side walls II, with aperturedbosses f|2 which are vadapted to receive the ends ofth'ebail I3 therein. A rope or cable attached to the bail will lower the oil thief into an oil tank for the sampling of the oil therein.

The front wall I4 of the casing I0 is provided with a vertically disposed cutout I5 over which a piece of transparent material I6 such as glass or any suitable substitute therefor may be placed andretained in place by the frame I-'l secured to the casing `by :screws I8. .The material I4 permits the-oil gauger to View the oil vin the casing Vtodeterinine the condition of the oil at the depth at which-it wasobtained inthe tank being tested.

Secured to ythe inner surface yof (the Walls of thexcasing Iin anupwardl-yinclined relation to the bottom of the casing I0, is the fixed half I9 of the valveseat 120. Secured .to the xed half I9 of the seat 2.0 by screws ZI `is the removable half 22 of the seat which may be removed and replacedY as desired.

The fixed half .I9 of the seat 20 has its front or lowermost edge iixed at the loweredge of the front wall i4, and its rear or upper most edge fixed-to the rear wall -23 Vin an elevated position above thevlower open end of `thecasing I0. The side edges 'of the fixed half I9 are also fixed in inclined relation Ato the side walls II of the casing I0.

The peripheral walls of the seat 20 are vertically inolined so that while the halves i9 and 22 'arefin'in'clined relation to the walls of the casing, the' walls of the seat 20 are in vertical parallel relation-,with the walls of the casing.

The rear wall 23, at'its upper edge, has a plate member 24 secured thereto in right angular relation therewith, and depending from the member 24 :and fixed thereto, and to the rear wall 23, on its undersurfacais the tubular openended housing 25. lSlidably mounted `in the :housing 25 and -in'ithe opening 26,'in the member 24, is the valve control rod .21, which Vis square shaped to prevent rotation thereof during the sliding movement thereof. `The rod 21, at its upper end, .is provided .withthe bottom lor knob 28 `and at its lower end lis provided withthe opening 29 to re- Vc'eive'the pin 3!) which carries the hanger brackets 3| secured von opposite sides of the rod'Z'I tothe valve 32 by screws 33. A coil yspring 34 sleeved "on rthe rod i2?! `willengage the kmember 24 at `its upper end 'and Aa 'collar 3'5 xed to the rod 21 above the pin 30, at the lower `end to exert "suicient pressure to force vthe valve into closed position, 'as shown in-Figure 3.

vSecured to thefside walls Il of the casing II), by means vof'screws '36, is the 'transversely mounted yro'd '37, which is mountedabove the valve seat 20 and carries thereon, in spaced relation to each other, the curved leaf springs 38. The springs are mounted on the rod 31, outwardly of the seat 20, so that when the valve 32 is in closed position, as in Figure 3, they will engage the valve and retain it in closed position. When the valve is open, as in Figures 1 and 2, the springs will contact the removable half 22 of the valve seat 20.

Secured by screws 39 to the rear surface of the rear wall 23, adjacent the upper edge thereof, is the bracket 40, which supports the upper end of the tube 4|. The lower end of the tube is supported by the bracket 42 fixed to the rear surface of the rear wall 23 adjacent its lower edge by screws 43. The tube 4I is slidably mounted in the brackets, and is retained in this relation to the brackets in the following manner. Formed on the tube adjacent the opposite ends thereof are the collars 44 and 45 respectively. A coil spring 46 sleeved on the tube engages the bracket 40 and collar 44 and exerting downward pressure on the tube, forces the collar 45 into engagement with the bracket 42. Thus the tube is retained in the brackets without slipping therefrom, during its sliding movement.

Slidably mounted for longitudinal adjustment in the tube 4| is the rod 41 which is, provided with relatively spaced circumferential grooves 48 which are adapted to be engaged by the lnturned end 49 of the spring latch 50 which is secured to the outer surface of the tube 4| The hooked end 49 extends through the opening 5| in the tube 4| to permit its engagement with the grooves 48 and retain the rod in xed relation to the tube.

The bracket 40 has formed integral therewith, the housing 52 which extends outwardly of the casing l at right angles thereto, and carries the spring pressed latch or dog 53 slidably therein. The housing 52 is provided with an opening 54 and the latch is provided with an opening 53 to receive the trip 55. The trip 55 is mounted so its lower end is in alinement and engagement with the tube 4|. Thus when the rod 41 moves the tube 4| upward, the trip 55 will be moved upwardly. This movement causes the knife edge 56 of the latch 53 to be disengaged from the notch 51 in the rod 21.

In use, the rod 41 is adjusted until the knob 58 on its lower end is the required distance below the lower edge of the casing. With the hooked end 49 of the catch 5D engaging in one of the grooves 48, the rod is held in fixed relation to the tube 4|, and the knob 58 is positioned so that the oil can be sampled at the height desired above the bottom of a tank to be tested. The rod 21, by means of the knob 28, is raised upwardly against the pressure of the spring 34 until the latch 53, by means exerted thereon by the spring 59, has the knife edge 56 thereof engaged in the notch 51 in the rod 21. At this time, the valve is in open position, as in Figure 2. By means of a rope secured to the bail |3, the oil thief is lowered into an oil tank.

When the knob 58 engages the bottom of the tank, the rod 41 and tube 4|, being in fixed relation to each other, is moved upwardly. This action causes the trip 55 to move upwardly and withdraw the latch 53 to release the knife edge 55 from the notch 51.

The expansion of the spring 34 will then force the valve 32 into closed position, as shown in Figure 3, and the spring 38 will retain the valve in this position. The oil thief is then withdrawn from the oil tank and the contents of the oil thief may be observed through the material I6 to determine the condition of the oil therein.

When the oil sample is no longer needed, it is poured from the oil thief, the oil thief is reset as previously described, and it is again ready for testing.

There has thus been provided a simply constructed and simply operated oil thief which will accomplish the purpose for which it has been designed in an expeditious and efficient manner.

It is believed that from the foregoing description, the operation and construction of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that changes in the minor details of construction, arrangement and construction of parts may be resorted to, provided they fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described, for use in obtaining samples from the liquid contents of a fluid container, comprising an open ended hollow rectangular shaped casing, means on the upper end of said casing whereby said casing may be lowered into the liquid contents of the fluid container, a valve seat, comprising a fixed half secured to the casing in angular relation thereto adjacent the bottom thereof, and a removable half xed to said fixed half, a valve for sliding engagement with the upper surface of the removable half of said valve seat, a valve control rod for opening said valve, means on said rod for closing said valve, means carried by the casing above the upper surface of the removable half of the valve seat and adapted to engage the upper surface of the valve for retaining said valve in closed position, a tube slidably mounted on said casing, a rod mounted for longitudinal adjustment in said tube, a latch slidably mounted on said casing for engagement with the control rod of said valve, and means engageable with said latch and said tube for disengaging said latch from said control rod when the rod in said tube is moved upwardly by contact of said rod with the bottom of the fluid container,

2. The invention as in claim 1, wherein said container is provided with means for observing the sample contained in said casing.

3. The invention as in claim 1, wherein said control rod is connected to said Valve in pivotal relation therewith.

CHARLES W. FERGUSON, Administrator of the Estate of Bert C. Ferguson,

Deceased.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Walker Sept. 16. 1939 

